Top 10 Celebrity Suicides

Ever wondered why someone rich, famous and venerated by fans would take his or her own life? Well, even celebrities have physical or psychological problems and often they struggle with addiction, anxiety and most of all, depression and drug abuse. We have prepared a list with top ten celebrity suicides and the circumstances surrounding this event. May they rest in peace!

1. Marilyn Monroe (1926 – 1962)

Still considered the world’s most popular icon of sex appeal and beauty, Marilyn Monroe had a successful career that led to her being an admired international star. Her most famous performance is for sure the appearance at John F. Kennedy birthday, when she sang ‘Happy birthday, Mr President’. After a series of unsuccessful relationships and marriages, she found retreat in her L.A. home. She was 36 when she was found dead from an overdose of barbiturates. Despite the speculation that she might have been murdered, the official cause for her death was drug overdose. After all this time, starts like Madonna or Lady Gaga are inspired by her, as she remains an icon.

2. Kurt Cobain (1967 –1994)

You have probably listened more than once to Smells Like Teen Spirit song by Nirvana. Their lead singer, guitarist, and songwriter, Kurt Cobain, shot himself in the head with a shotgun when he was only 27 years old. Cobain was at the height of his career when he died and although he was struggling with heroin addiction, he did not appear to have any mental health issues, making his suicide even more shocking.

3. Sigmund Freud (1856- 1939)

Sigmund Freud , the father of psychoanalysis considered that smoking would make him more creative and productive. Diagnosed with cancer of the mouth, he endured pain of more than 30 surgical procedures and to wear crude prostheses to talk and eat.

When he decided that time has come, after 16 years of suffering, he asked the help of his friend and doctor Max Schur in order to help him to commit suicide. Dr. Schur injected him with 21 milligrams of morphine. Freud died a few hours after receiving the injection.

4. Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961)

Ernest Hemingway is the author of True at First Light, The Old Man and the Sea, For Whom the Bell Tolls, just to name few of his works. In 1954, he won the Nobel Prize in Literature. Hemingway just woke up one morning, got out of bed without waking up his wife, took the gun he used for shooting pigeons, stepped out of his house and put a bullet to his head. The reason? Apparently, he suffered from depression and alcoholism. This has his third attempt, as he had tried before, through gunshot wound and the second time he tried to place himself in front of a airplane that was taking off. He has hospitalized for 2 months. Doctors had prescribed him pills and shock treatment. The second day he was released from the hospital, he committed suicide.

5. Thich Quang Duc (1897-1963)

Thich Quang Duc is a Buddhist monk who at age 66, burned himself to death in Saigon, South Vietnam. He was protesting about the persecution of Buddhists by the South Vietnamese government. What is impressive is that during the entire time, he did not scream and did not move. Once the fire subsided, a group of monks covered the smoking corpse with yellow robes. After his death, his body was re-cremated, but his heart remained intact and did not burn and is regarded as a symbol of compassion.

6. Frederick Eugene Buhl (1991-2013)

Frederick Eugene Buhl , also known as Freddy E. , is a Seattle rapper known for who on January the 5th 2013 took his own life through gunshot wound. This shocking event was announced on Twitter. Freddy E was apparently deeply in love with Honey Cocaine, who decided to end the relationship. As he couldb bot take the pressure of the break up, he firstly detailed on Twitter that he was going to commit suicide. A few hours later, he took his own life.

7. Whitney Houston (1963-2012)

The international pop legend Whitney Houston was an inspiration to countless artists and her contributions to the music industry are immense. Unfortunately, she was struggling with drug abuse. The artist was found dead in her room at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif., on February 11, 2012. Her death was ruled accidental, as a result of drowning. Fans mourned the loss of one of the greatest voices to have ever existed.

8. Cheyenne Brando (1970-1995)

Marlon Brando’s daughter, Cheyenne was raised by her mother after her parents divorced when she was 2 years old. At 19 years old she was seriously injured in a car accident that put an ending to her modeling career. Her father flew her to LA where she had massive plastic surgery. In the same year, she moves together with her husband in her father’s house in US, as she is pregnant. Her half brother gets into a fight with her husband and 2 days later he is accused of first degree murder. Cheyenne takes off to Tahiti where she has her baby. Soon after, she tries suicide twice and is hospitalized for drug detoxification. In April 1995, she hung herself at her mother’s home in Tahiti.

9. Phyllis Hyman (1949-1995)

“I’m tired. I’m tired. Those of you that I love know who you are. May God bless you.” This is what was written on the suicide note left by Phyllis, American singer and actress. On June 30, 1995 she overdosed on pentobarbital and secobarbital and was found unconscious in her New York City apartment. She died in the hospital, 3 hours after the overdose.

10. Andrew Koenig (1968-2010)

Andrew Koenig is an actor better known as Boner on the American sitcom Growing Pains, and the son of Star Trek actor Walter Koenig. Fighting depression and renouncing to his medication, he decided to take his own life by hanging himself. His parents declared that everyone should know that if they are also fighting depression or drug abuses, that there are people who really care about what is happening and can help one pass through difficult times.